Laying the Foundation for Online Growth

posted by Ted on November 15, 2011

Running a business in the 21^st century is completely different from the commercial world we used to know.  Marketing is no longer an expensive guessing game. Doing deals no longer takes weeks and months – with email, it’s instant.  Target markets are no longer necessarily geographically restricted – in fact, the Internet has brought business into the homes of consumers near and far and made doing business not only easier, but also potentially more profitable.

The days of Internet hype are over – the web is here to stay, and you are doing a disservice to your business by not investing a good portion of your marketing efforts in online media. There’s no such thing as an ‘offline’ business anymore – there are only businesses that have yet to fully embrace the value of online marketing.

Most business owners have probably, at one time or another, considered an ad in the Yellow Pages. If you are running a business, it’s possible that you’re even currently paying for one. There is certainly not anything wrong with that…but ask yourself this – when was the last time you used the Yellow Pages?  And, how do you know for sure which sales leads are coming from that particular ad?

The Internet has changed the rules. It not only allows an advertiser to reach a market that they’d otherwise completely miss, but also enables them to track and test every last detail. This way they know precisely what’s working and what isn’t. This allows for a certain level of tracking and testing that was not even an option in the past.

Any business that isn’t online now is likely setting itself up for a major fall – whether you are running a restaurant, an antique shop or an accounting firm.

Whatever your line of business, you need to be marketing online consistently and effectively now to have any chance of protecting your market position in the future.  This also gives you the opportunity to reach the millions of potential customers you might otherwise completely miss.

But having a website isn’t enough. There are over 50,000,000,000 websites in Google’s index, all competing for your prospect’s attention – whether they’re located in New York, New Zealand, or next door.

Simply ‘being there’ just doesn’t cut it anymore, and chances are at least decent that your competitors might be closely familiar with the technologies necessary to attract attention.

Many small business owners are fooled into thinking the Internet doesn’t work for them. They pay (often through the nose) for a website, having been promised endless leads, and all too often the results just simply aren’t there.

If that sounds familiar to you, it’s not your fault. In fact, it’s not even necessarily your web designer’s fault.  What you’re been sold is only a small piece of the Internet puzzle.

Being online is an important start, but making sure your website is optimized for key phrases related to your business and then building your online authority are essential steps in creating a long-term and sustainable online presence.  If you aren’t sure how to get started, make sure to check out our SEO services page.

Related posts: 

-      Online Marketing for Offline Businesses

-      Appearing Natural to the Search Engines

Tags:backlinks,effective website,internet marketing,link building,search engine,Social bookmarking,social networking,website optimization